Category Archives: Immigration Law

Writ of Mandamus الزام ادارات دولتی به رسیدگی به درخواست ها

 الزام ادارات دولتی به پاسخ گویی در رابطه با  درخواست ها ظرف مهلت مقرر قانونی یا مدت زمان متعارف از طریق Writ of Mandamus

افرادی که مدت زیادی را در انتظار تعیین تکلیف پرونده های مهاجرتی خود مانده اند بویژه افرادی که درخواست ویزای آن ها مدت ها است که در مرحله Administrative Process قرار دارد احتمالا اصطلاح نامانوس Writ of Mandamus را شنیده اند. این اصطلاح در واقع نام حقوقی نوع خاصی از دعوا است که در دادگاه های فدرال علیه ادارت و سازمان های دولتی اقامه می شود و خواسته آن الزام اداره یا سازمان دولتی طرف دعوی به رسیدگی به درخواست ارائه شده در ظرف مهلت مقرر قانونی (یا در صورت عدم وجود تصریح قانونی ظرف مدت زمانی معقول) است. در این دعوا افرادی که مدت زیادی را منتظر دریافت تصمیم نهایی در رابطه با درخواست خود بوده اند از دادگاه فدرال درخواست می کنند که اداره طرف دعوا را ملزم به رسیدگی و اعلام تصمیم نهایی کند. طرح Writ of Mandamus در دادگاه تقریبا تنها راه حل حقوقی موجود برای افرادی است که مدت زمان زیادی را در انتظار دریافت تصمیم نهایی در پرونده مهاجرتی خود بوده اند. این دعوا اگر به شکل صحیح و در زمان مناسب اقامه شود می تواند گره کور بسیاری از پرونده های مهاجرتی را باز کند. با این حال قبل از طرح این دعوی باید به دو نکته اساسی توجه داشت:
1- اگر اداره دولتی طرف دعوی به دلیل نقص در پرونده یا عدم تکمیل آن به دلیلی که خارج از کنترل آن اداره است نتواند به درخواست مهاجرتی فرد رسیدگی کند، دادگاه Writ of Mandamus را رد می کند. برای مثال اگر وزارت خارجه به دلیل عدم دریافت پاسخ استعلام چک امنیتی از صدور ویزا خودداری کرده باشد، دادگاه نمی تواند وزارت خارجه را به اخذ تصمیم بدون تکمیل پرونده و قبل از دریافت نتیچه استعلام ملزم کند. اما اگر برای مثال وزارت خارجه در ارسال پرونده برای چک امنتی کوتاهی کرده باشد یا پس از دریافت نتیجه استعلام پرونده را به جریان نینداحته باشد، Writ of Mandamus می تواند کارگشا باشد.
2- قبول درخواست Writ of Mandamus و الزام اداره طرف دعوی به اخذ تصمیم در رابطه با درخواست متقاضی، به معنای الزام آن اداره به اخذ تصمیم به نفع متقاضی و تایید درخواست وی نیست. برای مثال اگر فردی مدتی طولانی را در انتظار دریافت ویزا بوده و دادگاه وزارت خارجه را ملزم به اخذ تصمیم در رابطه با درخواست ویزای آن فرد کند، وزارت خارجه می تواند در چهارچوب قوانین آمریکا به درخواست ویزای فرد پایخ منفی بدهد.

بنابراین Writ of Mandamus اگرچه می تواند در بسیاری از موارد کارگشا باشد اما استفاده از آن برای تمام پرونده هایی که با مشکل طولانی شدن زمان رسیدگی مواجه هستند قابل توصیه نیست.
https://t.me/attorneykrazaghi


How to remove cinditions on your Green Card if you are no longer married to the US Citizen spouse. 

If you are registered as a permanent resident because of your marriage with a U.S. Citizen, and you were not maried to your spouse for more than two years before applying for a green card, you have a two-year conditional permanent resident card. You are required by law to remove the conditions on your green card before the expiration date, by filing the Form I-751 Application for Removal of Conditions.

This application should be filed with USCIS within the 90-day window immediately before expiration date of the conditional green card. You should not miss this deadline because USCIS will reject your I-751 if you file your application after the deadline.

The general rule is that you should file Form I_751 jointly with your spouse. The reason for this rule is that USCIS wants to make sure that you have entered your marriage in good faith. In other words, they want to make sure that you are really in love with your spouse and your marriage was not just for immigration purposes.

If you are no longer married to the US Citizen spouse through which you gained conditional permanent resident status, you may have a hard time to get rid of the conditions on your Green Card.  If you can prove that your marriage ended because you were a victim of domestic violence, you have a better chance to receive your permanent ten-year green card without getting an interview with USCIS. Generally you should prove that your marriage did not end because you were not in a real spousal relationship with your spouse. You should provide enough evidence to persuade the immigration officer that you entered into the marriage contract with your ex husband with good faith. If the immigration officer is not satisfied with your evidences and explanations, you may lose your green card and eventually your lawful status in United States.

If you are in such a situation, you need to request a waiver of the joint-filing requirement in your application. You need to provide all the recommended documents that normally are filed with I-751 Applications including: documented evidence showing that you were living together from the date of marriage to the date of divorce or separation (a joint lease agreement is perfect), that you had commingled your finances during your marriage (joint income tax returns, joint bank accounts, joint insurances, joint loans, etc.), that you shared joint responsibility of assets and liabilities within your household (joint utility bills, joint insurance policies, joint financial responsibilities). You should also provide evidence that you and your ex spouse spent time together on a regular basis (photographs from date of marriage to present, phone records, e-mails, text-messages, social media correspondence, hotel/flight reservations, evidence of joint trips taken together, affidavits from friends and family members, etc.)

Most of I-751 Applications are processed without an interview but waiver applicants have a great chance to get an interview appointment. If you get an interview, you should be ready to face hard questions. The officer may ask you about very private aspects of your life to find out whether you had been in a real marital relationship with your ex spouse.

 


PBJ may not be always in your best interest.

Probation before Judgment (PBJ) is placing the defendant on probation before the judgment is entered.  That means the defendant has not been found guilty of the crime. It is expungeable (after successfully completing probation) and can save professional future of people who do not want to lie in their job applications.

PBJ may be an available option for most of those defendants who face criminal charges for the first time and believe that State has enough evidence against them. A first-time DUI or DWI offender (or someone who has not had a DUI/DWI conviction/PBJ within the last 10 years) can hope that the judge offer him a PBJ. Violation of the Maryland Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS or Drug) laws for the first time can also result in a PBJ. Most the defendants who are charged with a felony or misdemeanor violation of Maryland law are also good candidates for PBJ. Even for those who have repeated an offense, PBJ may be available  if the defendant can show to the court that the defendant is amenable to treatment through probation before judgment.

Despite very interesting advantages that a PBJ may have for a defendant, some defendants should do their best to stay away from a PBJ. In fact, in some circumstances, a PBJ may have the same consequences of a conviction and therefore should not be easily accepted. Defendants who are not a United States Citizen as well as those who have a security clearance, or a CDL license should be very careful in giving up their appeal rights in exchange for a PBJ.

PBJ is considered as a conviction for the purposes of immigration. Therefore, immigration consequences of accepting a PBJ should be carefully determined by an immigration lawyer. Not all of the criminal convictions can prevent you from becoming a U.S. citizen but lots of them can. If you are not a U.S. citizen and offered by a PBJ, do not hesitate to contact an immigration attorney.

 

 


In love with an alien? Petition for a K-1 Fiancée Visa.

Fiancée visa (classified as K-1) is a nonimmigrant visa classification for foreign nationals who intend to come to the United States in order to marry an American citizen and reside in thiscountry. The US citizen who wishes to marry the foreign national is called petitioner because he/she should file the Form I-129F Petition for Relative or Fiance with USCIS. The other fiancée is called beneficiary.

In order to be eligible for fiancée visa, both petitioner and beneficiary must be legally able and willing to conclude a valid marriage in the United States. As a general rule, the petitioner and beneficiary must have previously met in person within the past two years. However, the Attorney General can waive this requrequirement in exceptional circumstances.

Once USCIS approves I-129F, National Visa Center would be notified and  a consular officer will contact the beneficiary to schedule an interview with him/her. The approved  petition is valid for four months, but the Embassy can extend it if a fiance visa cannot be issued during that period and the intention to marry still exists. If the officer finds the fiancée to be eligible for K-1 fiance visa, a visa will be issued which is valid for one entry during a period of six months.

The petitioner and the beneficiary must marry within 90 days of admission into the United States. Following the marriage, the foreign national spouse must apply to the USCIS to establish a record of entry for permanent residence status. This PR status would be conditional for two years to make sure that the marriage is a bona fide one. After two years, the foreign national spouse may apply to the USCIS for removal of the conditional status and after 3 years of being a legal permanent resident  (LPR), he/she can apply to become a U.S. citizen. Divorce after the approval of conditional permanent resident status but before removal of the conditions can make some challenges for the fiancée and should be discussed in details with an immigration attorney.

If the beneficiary has unmarried, minor (under 21) children, they derive “K-2” nonimmigrant visa status from the parent but it is important that thr petitioner name the children in the petition. If the children accompany or follow the alien fiancé within one year from the date of issuance of the K-1 visa, a separate petition is not required but thereafter, a separate immigrant visa petitionthis (I-130) should be filed.